Post # 176 - Lowes and Their Big Identity Theft Riddle

I sent this on 3/20/2011.
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Dear Lowes,

Imagine a thief, evading all of the security measures and reaching the big vault at Fort Knox.  The big one!  The only thing that stands between this thief and trillions of dollars is a combination, to be entered via keypad, onto a LED screen.

Imagine, after hours, days, months, the stumped thief cracking the 16 digit code, only for the safe to prompt him for one last safety measure—one last means to stop him.  Maybe it’s a codeword.  Maybe a second combination.  Perhaps a riddle.  Maybe a phone number to call a second party to activate something.

The prompt asks the thief for the last four digits.  The very last four that he just entered, as part of the original 16.

In my example, Lowes is Fort Knox.  My personal finances and your inventory comprise the contents of the vault.  My credit card number is the combination.  You’re asking someone-- someone smart enough to get a hold of my credit card and buy some 2 x 4’s and drywall with it—to flip the card over, read the last four numbers, and enter them?

That’s your big screening method?  Seriously?

Am I missing something?  Why else would we be prompted to enter this?

I’ve seen other places where the cashier asks to see I.D.  I’ve been prompted to enter my zip code.  Each of these is a better identity theft filter than "flip the card over and enter a few digits."

I must say, I’m a little disappointed.  You’re an enabler.

Sincerely,

Jerry

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Replied On 3/21/2011 11:01:37 AM
Hello Jerry,

I apologize for the inconvenience this has caused. I have forwarded your concerns to the appropriate department to be further reviewed.

If there is anything else I can do, please let me know.


Thank you,

Cherisse H.
Lowe's Customer Care
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Subject: RE: EIT000004136501Lowes.com: Other Question/Comment
Date: Sun, 17 Apr 2011 11:54:46 -0400

Dear Cherisse,

It's been a month.  I am just following up.  How is the appropriate department's investigation going?  Are they following some leads?  Is this a cold case?

Just curious.

Thanks,

Jerry
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Date: Mon, 18 Apr 2011 09:16:07 -0400

Subject: EIT000004136501Lowes.com: Other Question/Comment

Jerry,

I understand your email has been reviewed. Please allow them to possibly consider your suggestion during any policy updates or changes.

If there is anything else I can do for you, please let me know.

  

Thank you,

Cherisse H.

Lowe's Customer Care

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Subject: RE: EIT000004136501Lowes.com: Other Question/Comment
Date: Mon, 18 Apr 2011 19:30:43 -0400

Thank you, Cherisse.

When they reviewed my email, did they discuss why they make us enter the last four digits on our credit card in the first place?  Did anyone stand up and storm out of the boardroom?  Because that individual, Cherisse, would be the culprit, the one who authored this policy.  That individual, Cherisse, is where I would direct the next phase of your investigation.

Maybe he or she has an "in" with the folks who supply the touch screen keypads-- the very keypads that millions of loyal customers enter their last four from the fronts of their credit cards each and every day.  Maybe this added wear and tear on these touch screens leads to more frequent replacement, a bigger profit for the touchs creen manufacturer, and a nice fat under the table bag of silver coins for "Lenny Lastfour."

Think about it.  Why else would we be typing in this info?

How long before we use retina scans?  That actually makes sense.

Thanks for your help in this investigation!

Jerry

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Subject: Incident #EIT000004136501 Lowes.com: Other Question/CommentReplied On 4/19/2011 4:21:43 PM

Subject: RE: Incident #EIT000004136501 Lowes.com: Other Question/Comment
Date: Tue, 19 Apr 2011 22:25:33 -0400

Hello Barbara,

What happened to Cherisse?  Hopefully this case didn't get to her.  Hopefully I didn't say anything to upset her.

There's something fishy about all of this.  If loyal customer notes are submitted to management, and there's no feedback loop for the loyal customer, that doesn't create a warm, fuzzy reinforcement loop for the customer to feel comfortable returning to the store.  These causal loops are spinning out of control, Barbara!  They're creating a vortex.

A big vortex, Barbara.

Sincerely,

Jerry

Hello Jerry,

Thank you for your comments. They have been added to the notes for management. These comments are used in making policy revisions, but they are not responded to individually.

Please let me know if there's anything else I can do for you.

Thank you,

Barbara L.

Lowe's Customer Care

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